Your hearing won’t be just gone one day when you wake up. Hearing loss, especially when it’s related to aging, generally advances in degrees. You may not realize it’s occurring right away but some signs do show up earlier.
The early symptoms of progressive hearing loss are discrete. Slowing down the development of hearing loss and its associated health challenges is a matter of early detection. But if you don’t know what the early symptoms are, you won’t be capable of recognizing if you have them. You might be developing hearing loss if you notice any of the following eight barely noticeable signs.
1. You hear some people just fine but not others
Perhaps you can understand the cashier just fine, but when your wife joins the conversation, everything gets muddled. It’s a common sign of sensorineural hearing loss or damage to the nerves that send electrical signals to the brain.
Her voice is higher in pitch, and that’s why it isn’t as clear. You might not be capable of hearing your daughter or grandchild very well for the same reason. Even technology like the microwave or an alarm can become a problem. Those tones are high, too.
2. You don’t like to talk on the phone
When the phone rings you often make excuses for not answering:
- It’s a brand new phone, and I’m simply not used to it yet
- It’s probably just spam
Consider why you dislike talking on your phone. It will be a useful idea to get someone else to check the phone for you if the volume is all the way up and you still aren’t able to hear what the other person is saying. You most likely have a hearing loss problem if you can’t hear the voice but your friend can.
3. Why does everyone mumble these days?
It seems like it’s no longer just the kids who are mumbling when they talk, it’s your neighbor, the news woman, your partner, and even your bartender. It’s difficult to imagine that everybody in your life suddenly has bad enunciation so this is a good indication of hearing loss. The way you hear words is changing. One of the first signs that something is going on with your hearing is when it sounds like people are mumbling and consonants like “S” and “T” are getting lost.
4. You’re saying “what?” a lot
It may not be until somebody points out that you’re saying “what?” a lot that you recognize you are developing hearing loss. Very often the people you see every day like coworkers or family are the first to observe that you’re having a hard time hearing. If somebody comments on it, you should pay attention.
5. What’s that ringing in my ears?
This sign is somewhat more obvious, but unless it becomes a disruption, people tend to ignore it. Tinnitus, the medical name for the ringing or buzzing in the ear, is a common symptom of hearing loss.
Triggers are an important factor in tinnitus so it can be intermittent, too. Perhaps, when you first get up in the morning is when you have the most significant ringing or buzzing. Or, it could also be a symptom of high blood pressure, circulatory issues, or trauma.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms you should schedule an appointment for an exam because they may be a sign that you’re having a health problem.
6. Meeting your friends at the neighborhood barbecue isn’t as fun
Again, there are those mumbling people, and that’s not fun. Also, being in loud places makes understanding what people say that much harder. It becomes extremely difficult for you to hear anything when you’re in the presence of something as basic as the AC turning on or youngsters splashing and playing in the pool. And attempting to keep up with conversations is tedious.
7. You feel more worn out than normal
It’s exhausting when you struggle to understand words. You feel more fatigued than normal because your brain has to work overtime to try and interpret what it’s trying to hear. Your other senses may even begin to change. How much energy is left for eyesight, for instance, if your brain is spending so much of its energy attempting to hear and understand words? If your eyes have tested fine, now it’s time to have your hearing assessed.
8. Why is this TV volume so low?
When you have to constantly turn the volume up on your TV, it becomes all too easy to place the blame on your service provider or that old TV. It can be hard to follow the dialogue on your favorite shows when you have hearing loss. The background music and sound effects are befuddling dialogue, for example. There are other things like the room AC or ceiling fan to cope with. If you keep cranking up the volume, then your hearing might be failing.
Luckily, if your hearing is failing, hearing aids can help, you just need to have your hearing tested.
If you notice any of the above signs of hearing loss, give us a call today to make an appointment.